He may be at the helm of one of the most dynamic Roman Catholic parishes in Florida, with the 3,000 families present each weekend at one of the seven masses at Saint Peter’s Church in Deland, but Father Thomas Connery is still worried. “We have many retirees in Florida, so the churches are full but Read more
A lot has been written about Pope Francis’s goal of making the church more democratic, with less control by the Vatican and more power to individual bishops. In an ideal world, not only would the Vatican have less say in choosing bishops, but priests and laity would have a larger role in the selection of Read more
As I was trying to discern what God wanted me to write about, I walked into my 16-year-old son’s bedroom to discover a military calendar hanging on the wall. It highlighted young men and women in combat fatigues, fighter jets, an aircraft carrier battle group and plenty of American flags. I knew from personal experience Read more
There has been attention on Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation that elaborates on discussions regarding marriage and the family, which took places in 2014 and 2015 within the Synod of Bishops. But something has largely been neglected. It is the reception of the pope’s focus on synodality and its importance for the Church Read more
John Allen has reported here on the surge of Pentecostalism across Africa and the threat it presents to established Catholicism. Here is what he has to say: Today the primary competition stems from Africa’s sprawling galaxy of Pentecostal and Evangelical churches, some part of global denominations but most home-grown. In many parts of the continent, Read more
While Pope Francis’ recent comments on the subject of married priests made headlines around the world, his response falls clearly in line with the thinking of his predecessors. In an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit, published in early March, Pope Francis was asked if allowing candidates for the priesthood to fall in love and Read more
Pope Francis has bestowed on a prominent member of the Catholic Indian and business communities the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For Church and Pope) medal. Wenceslaus Anthony, a Catholic, the the Chairman of the Divine Retreat Centre of New Zealand and Chairman of Indian Newslink Community Fund. Continue reading
It is hard to believe but Pope Francis is coming up on the fourth anniversary of his election as pope on March 13. In four years, the pope has had a profound impact on the church. True, he has not changed the church’s position on birth control, celibacy, women priests and gay marriage, but he Read more
So many aspects of Pope Francis’s personality either delight or consternate people, depending on their perspective, that it seems almost reductive to single out one element. If you were going to put all those things on a list, however, pride of place almost certainly would have to go to his endless capacity for soundbites. Time Read more
Catholics and Jews are America’s “most liked” religious groups, according to the latest Pew Research Center survey. Determined on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 (freezing) to 100 (very hot), Jews and Catholics achieved a mean rating of 67 and 66 respectively. Mainline Protestants are just behind at 65. The lowest ratings are for atheists Read more